About Crowd Control

Contents

Introduction

Crowd Control or simply CC, is one of the core mechanism in League of Legends. It allows some champion to influence the pace of a teamfight, to kite (or peel), to ambush, etc. Basically, it allows some champions be threats even if they don't have insane amounts of damage. CC if fun.

There are two big categories for CC effects: Soft Crowd Control (SCC) and Hard Crowd Control (HCC). Character such as Purple Hulk have SCC, while others like Rock Dude have HCC. HCC have always been stronger. I've always followed closely the introduction of HCC and SCC into new champions. Latetly, some interrogation have slowly grown into my mind, creeping into the very core of my gray matter. After talking with some friends over a Beer, I've concluded that crowd control, both SCC and HCC have become redundant. Their function is now obsolete because of a new problematic that I've called, the knock-up effect.

The Knockup Effect

Nobody knows when the knockup effect appeared, one day, it was just there. A friend told me it became a thing in the Rocky Balboa patch. The knock-up effect is based around two main observations and generates several noxious effects for the game. These two observations are tied in many ways.

Most champions now orbit around HCC alone, the most powerful being the Knockup.

The Knockup effect as brought a load of problems into the game, both on the metagame portion and the game designing portion of League of Legends:

Lately, dullness in champion's core mechanism as become a thing. The knockup effect as made it so that junglers and brawlers in general must now follow a specific spread sheet for their design. One HCC, a %hp damage tool, a crazy gap closer (often combined with the HCC) and there you go. You got a new champion that brings nothing in the game other than being the newest, overpowered-crazy-gap-closer-hard-crowd-control-knock-up-hero (aka Zac and before that, Vi).

Innovation is gone. Crowd control is redundant and effects such as Silence, Taunt, etc. have been unexploited for a very long time.

People feel forced to take heavy-HCC junglers and top-laners, because its basically the only viable thing.

Glass canon champions are NO MATCH against heavy-HCC champions (if both players are of even skills).

Revisiting Crowd Control

IMO, crowd control needs an overhaul. It is a priority. This game mechanic is too dominant to be allowed to persist as it is. It is a matter of time before glass-canon champions with low-CC get rework into copies of heavy-HCC tanks.

I think that there are two main things that Riot should focus onto, to fix current issues that I see with crowd controls:

Introduce new SCC and HCC and bring back some older ones.

Introduce defensive mechanisms against crowd controls.

Some Propositions

I've thought of some things to balance out crowd control effects. These things can be set singular categories.

Champion Specific Tools:

Add defensive mechanisms against some form of crowd control into range carries, mages and damaged-focused melee bruisers. There is already Ragnarok for I AM BEOWULF and Highlander for Forest Gump, but more would be interesting. Effect such as CC-reflection are needed. Highlander could provide Snare immunity. Fiora's Riposte could reflect SCC. The list can go on and on.

Item Specific Tools:

Items to negate or improve some SCC and HCC would be cool. Add an effect on Deathfire Grasp which increase the duration of your champion's Silences. Add items with low SCC effects.

Tenacity:

Redefinition of CC:

One of my core idea is to redefine more adequately CC. For exemple, what's the difference between Charm and Taunt. Why is there only one champion with a Charm. Its a powerful tool. But its underused by the devs, who seemingly see only Knockup and Stun.

CC should be redefined, tweaked, new CC should be added:

Tangled units shouldn't be able to be knocked up.

Snared units should.

Charms should make champion walk.

Taunt should make them run and attack.

Fear should push champion away from the source.

Confusion (new CC) could make them run randomly.

Weighted (new CC) could reduce the range of blinks.

Conclusion

I hope you guys understand my view of things. I don't want things to get boring in the League, I want innovation. Novelty. Maybe I didn't explain myself well, but my main language is not english. Feel free to comment and give your ideas.